Use of text speak

[#1]

There is a developing habit among a few posters of using text speak.
This annoys me as I consider it just laziness or impoliteness to the other posters - take your pick.
Following the animated discussion on the last rule change I thought I would ask the opinion of the Community before raising it with the other Moderators

[#2]

This is ridiculous oldjim.

So long as a person makes themselves clear it doesnt bother me if its in arabic.
Also you forget that some members have a medical condition which hinders their communication styles.
Next you will be trying to ban inane posts.  These also can be quite irritating.
where will you start next?

[#3]

Quote from: thisoldman

So long as a person makes themselves clear

That's the whole point of the exercise.

[#4]

You can't reasonably ban it, equally you can't make people read it. Personally I don't.
Some advice that it's "inappropriate" and difficult to understand might not go amiss.  
I recall reading various documents overs the years labelled "netiquette" (or similar) giving advice on the accepted and effective ways of communicating in different situations, e.g. email, txt, forums and so on. That's where such advice belongs.

[#5]

It annoys me too, but so do people that walk slowly and short people with umbrellas.
You can't ban them and equally, you can't ban people for using text speak.
Nice try though

[#6]

We should definitely ban people who text and walk at the same time!

[#7]

Thank you thank you    jameseh  for introducing a modicum of commonsense. You as a plusnet member of staff need also in my view to reconsider the draconian attitutes of  theese mods in here before someone takes legal action.

The suggested ban was a step too far

[#8]

The poll is there to gauge community opinion.

[#9]

I see no reason it cannot be banned, I know of no ailment or illness that makes people use text speak, indeed before the rise of SMS messages it was unknown.
Sorry people who use text speak do so out of laziness or choice, not because they were born with an affliction to text speak.

[#10]

midnight caller im sure would disagree

[#11]

I agree with fourfourdevon.  
Some people don't have mobile phones, others that do only use them for conversation. They will find text speak impossible to follow.
Thanks to Oldjim for raising the issue.  It will be interesting to see the outcome of the poll.

[#12]

Not being familiar with midnight caller, I cannot comment directly, but as, as I say, no one used text speak before the rise of SMS messages.  Sure people had bad spelling, myself included (it only started to improve from the age of 24) but bad spelling I can put up with, text speak is choice, I have no problem with excluding people based on a choice they make, especially if a decision here has no effect on their ability or inability to continue with their choice elsewhere.
Libraries demand that people are quiet, many places demand that people don't run, some parks request you not go on the grass, many roads of parking restrictions, all public roads (in the UK) have speed restrictions, the list could go on for a very long time.
I see no reason why text speak should be treated as a special case.

[#13]

Just what has got in to the moderators these days? This is just the sort of over-zealous rule making that winds me up. Next they'll be insisting that all posts are correctly spelt and punctuated with correct use of capitals; failure to do this can make posts much harder to read than when text speak is used. We're all used to Gary's posts but are tolerant as we are aware of the situation.
I'd have hoped that we'd have been far more welcoming to people in these forums in whatever style they wish to post. If you have trouble understanding it either ignore and move on, or post a request for a translation.
If it is really an issue and you've used the word censor to turn variations of 'Plusnet' in to the correct spelling, why not use it to turn things like gr8 in to [abbr=great]gr8[/abbr]? (hover the mouse over to see the effect)

[#14]

Quote from: jelv

I'd have hoped that we'd have been far more welcoming to people in these forums in whatever style they wish to post. If you have trouble understanding it either ignore and move on, or post a request for a translation.

That really is quite rich coming from you.

[#15]

very well said jelv
perhaps 4 devon should acquaint himself with disability discrimination legislation

if oldjim introduces a ban then on behalf of disabled people i will take via the EHRC legal action